


love like blood

by MxTicketyBoo



Series: Lifeblood [2]
Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Explicit Consent, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Intercrural Sex, Love Confessions, M/M, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rough Oral Sex, Scent Kink, Semi-Public Sex, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:09:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27479332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MxTicketyBoo/pseuds/MxTicketyBoo
Summary: “I’ll be fine, you know.” A cheeky dimple appears as Zagreus smiles. “I can’t die, remember? At least not permanently.”“It doesn’t matter that it’s not permanent. Every time you die, I feel it.” Thanatos takes one of Zagreus’s hands from his waist and places it on his chest, over his heart. “I feel ithere.”Zagreus’s fingers curl into the material of his chiton. “Than…”“A light goes out inside me, and a void lingers, there, where you should be, until I sense your return.” Thanatos looks away from Zagreus’s eyes then. It feels like flaying himself alive to confess to this. “It’s not as small a thing as you make it seem.”
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Series: Lifeblood [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007949
Comments: 31
Kudos: 863





	love like blood

**Author's Note:**

> This loosely follows my first fic, [heed the call](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27249865), in that it's the same universe, same version of their established relationship. I'd recommend reading them in order, but it's not strictly necessary. Both stories can also stand on their own. 
> 
> I've included some of my own personal hcs for what other powers Thanatos might possess. Oh, and for the purposes of this fic, Centaur Hearts are absorbed like magic. I'm not sure if they're meant to be eaten in the game, but yeah. XD
> 
> Once again, I offer you porn and feels. These two just bring it out of me! 
> 
> Thanks to Lines and Terry for the beta read! <3

Zagreus is almost through Elysium when Thanatos finds him, the shine of his soul a siren call, despite all the others distantly clamoring for Death’s attention. 

Thanatos senses the presence of the Bull of Minos and that pompous little king, near, yet not so close the roar of the crowd can be heard. It’s more than enough, however, for him to conclude Zagreus will encounter the arena within the next chamber or two.

He’s only just made it in time, then. A few minutes later, and Zagreus would’ve already been beyond his reach. Thanatos can’t cross into the Temple of Styx unless Zagreus summons him there. So, if he wants to step in and help under the guise of their little contest, it’s now or never. Or rather, now or until the next escape attempt—but Thanatos may well be on the opposite side of the world by that point.

A reaper’s work is never done, not with the endless sprawl of winter keeping the surface clenched in its icy grip, or the enduring aftermath of the bloodthirsty havoc Lord Ares wreaks. Famine, poverty, disease. But on this rare occasion, Thanatos has time enough to spare for this. For Zagreus.

“Than!”

He turns toward the eager voice as the toll announcing his arrival fades. Zagreus sprints toward him, looking a little worse for wear after fighting his way through Tartarus and Asphodel. He’s sweaty and disheveled, clearly exhausted, but his entire countenance brightens when their eyes meet.

“Hello again.” Thanatos gestures with his scythe. “Shall we deal some death together, Zag?”

“Oh, we shall!” Zagreus declares, grinning broadly.

“Let’s teach these so-called champions a lesson about trifling with us.”

“You say the sweetest things, Than.” Zagreus tosses him a wink over his shoulder, and then the competition is on.

It takes mere minutes to clear the chamber. Zagreus flings himself into battle headlong, a whirlwind of flying fists as he faces off against Exalted Strongbows and Nemean Chariots alike. Thanatos, ever the opposite, maintains his slow, methodical pace as he calmly dispatches entire clusters of wretches at once.

When all is said and done, Zagreus has bested his total by a single kill.

He strides up to where Thanatos is waiting, still smiling, but with blood on his cheek and a noticeable limp to his gait.

“You’re hurt.” Thanatos frowns as he offers a Centaur Heart.

Zagreus shrugs gamely. “Occupational hazard, I’m afraid.” He absorbs the Heart into himself and sighs audibly as it restores some of his health while also soothing minor injuries.

Thanatos drifts closer, reaches a hand to thumb away a smear of blood at the corner of Zagreus’s mouth. “You’re a skilled fighter, Zag, but you’re so reckless. You take risks when you shouldn’t.”

Zagreus turns his head to press a kiss to Thanatos’s palm, making his fingers spasm reflexively. He wants to close his fist, capture that tender touch and hold it close to himself, tuck it away with all the other precious memories they’ve created since their relationship crossed the threshold from friendship to romance. Thanatos keeps his hand where it is, unwilling to give in to the bout of sentimentality when they have more serious matters to discuss.

“I don’t know how to fight any other way, Than,” Zagreus says.

Thanatos sighs. “I know.”

“Come here.” 

Zagreus sheds the gloves he wears, the Claws of Enkidu, and drops them to the earth. He grips Thanatos’s waist once they’ve been removed, tugging him down until his feet alight upon the lush grass carpeting the field. The luxuriant green blades bend beneath his heels, soft and cool as well-worn linen. In contrast, Zagreus’s touch blazes a path across his skin through the material of his robes, burning like fire compared to the placid breeze and perfectly temperate atmosphere here in this everlasting paradise.

“I’ll be fine, you know.” A cheeky dimple appears as Zagreus smiles. “I can’t die, remember? At least not permanently. I’ll always come back to you.”

“It…” Thanatos pauses, struggles to bring the right words to his lips. “It doesn’t matter that it’s not permanent. Every time you die, I feel it.” He takes one of Zagreus’s hands from his waist and places it on his chest, over his heart. “I feel it _here_.”

Zagreus’s fingers curl into the material of his chiton. “Than…”

“A light goes out inside me.” Thanatos keeps his voice low, though there’s no one else to hear them. “And a void lingers, there, where you should be, until I sense your return.” He looks away from Zagreus’s eyes then. It feels like flaying himself alive to confess to this, to have that mismatched stare on his face while he does. Thanatos couldn’t have done it before. Not before he’d had Zagreus in his arms, in his bed, not before they went from Zagreus and Thanatos as separate individuals, to _we_ and _us_. “It’s not as small a thing as you make it seem.”

“Than,” Zagreus whispers. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I… It’s part of who I am. There’s no changing it.” Thanatos sighs as Zagreus cups his chin and turns his face so their gazes meet again. “Just as the need for escape is part of who you are. I understand that now. I understand your restlessness, your need for purpose. I’m glad you’ve finally found your calling. I can see how much happier it’s made you.”

Zagreus nods, but the apple in his throat bobs as he swallows. His concern is evident, from the slight downturn of his lips to the crease upon his brow. “Yes, I’m glad, too, of course, but I… I don’t like that it hurts you. I’m sorry for that. I really am.”

Thanatos shakes his head. “I didn’t tell you to make you feel guilty. I don’t need an apology.”

“Then, what _do_ you need? Tell me.”

Thanatos is at a loss to explain the situation himself. He sighs and runs his free hand along Zagreus’s flank, then up over his stomach, his chest. The muscles flex beneath his fingertips, bumps and grooves he’s long-since memorized, mapped out with his palms, his mouth, teeth, and tongue. He’s learned every sweet spot, left no ridge or hollow unexplored. He knows Zagreus’s body as well as his own. Perhaps better than his own.

And if he focuses just so, he can sense the places where mortal blows had been struck. There, the spear that pierced Zagreus’s liver. There, on the side of his neck, where an arrowhead severed an artery. Another that stopped the vital beat of his heart.

Thanatos doesn’t often let himself reflect upon the many ways Zagreus has perished since he began trying to break out of the Underworld. He doesn’t relish the abilities that allow him to perceive past injuries, those fatal wounds that stole Zagreus from him, however briefly. Whenever the thoughts start to creep in, he ruthlessly shoves them aside. He deals in death every day; it’s a reality he won’t, can’t shy away from. But his is the merciful kind. It’s altogether different when it’s his love out there, meeting a sudden, violent end. 

“Just… take care,” he finally says, bracing a hand on Zagreus’s bare shoulder. “You’ve become inured to all this, I know, and maybe I should be as well. We’re not mortals. And yet… it does affect me, to feel your life flare out.” He drops his hand and starts to turn away. “I’d best be—”

“Thanatos.” Zagreus grabs him before he moves a step and pulls his head down so their lips crash together.

It’s messy and rough. Thanatos can taste salt and iron from Zagreus’s blood, but it’s soon lost to the taste of Zagreus himself, familiar now as the low, needy noises he makes, the slick way he moves his tongue, the heat of his kisses, fueled by the same reckless abandon with which he throws himself into battle.

Caught off guard as he was, Thanatos catches up quickly. He releases the scythe and sends it drifting away. The gauntlet on his hand soon follows so he can cradle Zagreus’s face between his bare palms and deepen the contact.

Zagreus moans into his mouth, and the sound wipes all rational thought from Thanatos’s mind. His entire focus narrows to the point where they’re connected, Zagreus so perfect, so eager, completely ravenous as he slides their tongues together. He doesn’t kiss with much finesse, but oh, he’s _starving_ for it, desperate like he’s never been touched before, and Thanatos welcomes the ardor, the edge of wildness.

“Than,” Zagreus whispers when they part for air. His lips brush the underside of Thanatos’s jaw, and his broad hands grip tight, where they’ve come to rest on Thanatos’s ass.

Thanatos can feel the hard line of his cock against his upper thigh as Zagreus presses closer. “Zag…” 

“I understand what you mean,” Zagreus says softly. “I… I don’t enjoy killing Meg. We’re not what we used to be anymore, but you know our history. Now that we’re finally on amicable terms again, I rather wish we could forgo the whole battle-to-the-death aspect of our friendship. And, well…” He trails off, and then huffs out a sound that’s not quite a laugh. “If it were you, I… I’m really not quite sure how I’d respond. I don’t even like to think of it. So, let’s just say I’m glad I don’t have to ever find out.”

“The feeling is mutual, believe me.”

Thanatos sighs as Zagreus's mouth brushes across the sensitive skin just beneath where the gorget protecting his neck stops. When he meets the material of Thanatos’s chiton, he shoves it aside so he can bite and suck up a mark just between the pectoral muscles.

“Zag,” Thanatos groans, but he slips his fingers into Zagreus’s hair almost without conscious thought, winding through the ink-dark strands to keep him right where he is. “We… We really shouldn’t be doing this here. Anyone could see us. I—I’ll wait for you at the House. Find me when you get back.”

“There’s no one here, love.” The words are delivered between light nips and worshipful kisses. Zagreus gently grazes one of his sharp eyeteeth across Thanatos’s uncovered nipple, before flicking the delicate bud with his tongue. “You could send me to face the Champions of Elysium freshly fucked, if you wanted,” he adds, with another playful lick.

“We don’t have the time or supplies for that,” Thanatos says, but even as he protests, he’s yanking Zagreus back up to get at his mouth.

“But we do have _some_ time,” Zagreus murmurs. His hands roam up Thanatos’s back to his shoulders. “Otherwise, you’d already be gone.”

Thanatos chuckles, despite himself, and kisses him again. “You’re a bad influence, Zag.”

“And _you_ need to take more breaks.” Zagreus’s lips quirk into a smile against his. “It’s good for morale, you know. I have it on the highest authority.”

“If that’s the case, I suppose I have no choice but to take a short respite. Wouldn’t want anyone to accuse me of overworking.”

“Yes.” Zagreus links his arms around his neck, his grin wide and his eyes sparkling with mischief. “It’s for the benefit of all, really.”

“Indeed.” Thanatos lifts Zagreus off his feet, his thoughts already racing ahead. It’s the work of only seconds to float them to the outskirts of the chamber. A stone altar rests there, where Thanatos knows a Well of Charon may occasionally manifest, but it’s empty for now. He hoists Zagreus onto the wide edge, startling his lover into a breathless laugh at the casual show of strength.

“Well…” Zagreus leans back on his palms and spreads his thighs. “Now that you have me here, whatever do you intend to do with me, Than?”

Thanatos bends forward to kiss him while rucking up the hem of Zagreus’s black and crimson chiton. He hooks his fingers into the waistband of the leggings underneath and tugs as Zagreus eagerly lifts his hips to aid him.

He only pulls them down far enough to free Zagreus’s cock, which is already hard and curving toward his taut stomach. The sight of the plump crown and the fluid beading there makes Thanatos’s mouth water. He doesn’t bother resisting the urge to dip his head and swipe a lick across the slit. Salt and musk bloom on his tongue, and Thanatos makes a hungry sound, sucking lightly at the slick glans, already craving more.

Zagreus’s smell is intoxicating, concentrated here in this most intimate place, and intensified by the sweat and exertion of every single battle since he entered Tartarus. Thanatos revels in the scent, lets the length of Zagreus’s cock glide along his cheek, slides his lips down the underside to the base, and lower, to the tight sac beneath. 

Normally, Thanatos would feast, bring Zagreus to the brink over and over again, completely at his leisure, linger until the taste and scent of Zagreus consumes his senses, but now is not the time nor place for such luxuries.

He braces one of Zagreus’s thighs on his bare shoulder and takes him deep, right to the back of his throat.

Zagreus keens, the cry echoing throughout the empty chamber and toward the heavens, loud above the tranquil flow of the River Lethe. Satisfaction flares sharp and hot in Thanatos’s gut, and he sucks all the harder as he draws his head up toward the tip, drawing out another moan and a stuttering of his name.

In the beginning, he hadn’t thought he’d come to covet those pretty noises. He assumed, at first, he’d be mortified by Zagreus’s volume, the way he held absolutely nothing back, the constant stream of encouragement and praise that fell from his lips without end. Thanatos is a private individual, reserved by nature, and not generally given to dirty talk or saccharine declarations—except, apparently, when it comes to Zagreus.

Still, his preference is to show what he can’t always bring himself to say, to demonstrate his adoration through every kiss and touch, every glance, every press of skin-to-skin. _That’s_ his love language, his method of communicating all the feelings Zagreus inspires. His yearning, his reverence.

But he’s come to appreciate the differences between the two of them. Zagreus has always worn his heart on his sleeve, for good or for ill, and Thanatos admires him for being able to do what he himself so often struggles with—to be open and vulnerable. To allow others inside the many walls he’s erected, let them know how much they matter, grant them the power to hurt him, if the whim should so happen to take them.

Thanatos wants to try, at least, to meet Zagreus halfway. To give as much joy as he receives from their relationship. He needs Zagreus to know he’s valued, even if Thanatos doesn’t always have the easiest time expressing his appreciation. It worries him even now that Zagreus will misinterpret his silences, read them as unhappiness or disinterest, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth of the matter.

“Than,” Zagreus says above him. “Oh, gods—” His voice breaks on a particularly deep suck. “You—you’re amazing, you’re so—”

Thanatos swallows around the crown of his cock, and feels the hood fall away from his face as Zagreus curses and clutches at his hair.

“Ahhh, Than.” Zagreus shudders, hitching his hips in short, fitful bursts, as if he can’t quite help the impulse. “Yes, yes, please, _please_ , all of me, take it all.”

Thanatos relaxes his throat and sucks Zagreus in to the root, sensing more than hearing the sharp little hiss Zagreus makes in response. His cock pulses, a warm, welcome weight on Thanatos’s tongue. He draws back slowly, ever so slowly, to circle the plump ridge, dip beneath the foreskin to explore the glans, seek out the most sensitive, shiver-inducing spots. 

Zagreus’s head falls back. He moans with wanton abandon and grips tighter at Thanatos’s hair, a painful yank on his scalp, but Thanatos doesn’t stop or ask him to let up. He simply takes Zagreus down again, sloppy and wet, spit on his chin and the flavor of Zagreus’s precome flooding his taste buds.

He cups Zagreus’s sac in one palm, rolls his balls and tugs until Zagreus gives a choked moan and holds him in place so he can thrust, fuck into Thanatos’s throat with enough force to make it ache, to give Thanatos the gratification of knowing his voice will be scraped raw and his jaw sore for the next several hours. 

No one else will so much as suspect the true reason why; they’ll simply assume he’s being more taciturn than usual. For who would dare question Death?

The thought alone brings an illicit thrill, and Thanatos loses himself in Zagreus’s movements, eyes half-closed and hazy as Zagreus uses his mouth to chase his pleasure. His noises grow in pitch and frequency. He fills Thanatos’s mouth over and over again, relentlessly rolling his hips, until his rhythm stutters, becoming jerky and desperate as he starts to crest. Then suddenly, he freezes. Thanatos’s name emerges on a moan, and in the next second, Zagreus comes down his throat, his fingers twisted tight in Thanatos’s hair and his leg trembling where it rests on Thanatos’s shoulder.

He only releases Zagreus’s cock when the length begins to soften. Zagreus yanks him up for a greedy kiss, and he moans again when their tongues meet.

“You taste like me,” Zagreus pants against his lips. “Like us, together.” He tugs at Thanatos’s clothing, baring his cock. “So good, love. Let me please you. Tell me what you’d like.”

“I…” Thanatos rests a hand on one of Zagreus’s muscular thighs. “Come here.” He pulls Zagreus down to his feet, and Zagreus goes along with him, allows himself to be bent over the stone altar, ready and willing as ever.

Thanatos spits in his hand and uses his saliva to wet his cock. His nose wrinkles at the act; it feels filthy somehow, vulgar in a manner that makes his face burn even as lust surges in his belly and his shaft throbs against his palm. The crudeness of it excites him, despite his preference for a nice, slippery oil and a comfortable bed. When spit and a stone altar are the only resources to be had, one simply must make do.

Thanatos slides his cock between Zagreus’s thighs, and Zagreus needs no encouragement to squeeze them together, creating a warm tunnel for Thanatos to rut into.

He curls an arm across Zagreus’s chest and cups his throat, pulling Zagreus flush against him as he works his hips.

The friction is intense, and Zagreus’s body radiates heat like a hearth wherever their skin touches. He’s so very _hot_ , so vital and _alive_ in Thanatos’s grasp. Thanatos is drawn to his flame, helpless as a moth fluttering toward certain doom, except for him, falling into Zagreus’s fire brings only ecstasy. He’ll let it burn him up every time, if it means reaching the bliss on the other side.

“Zag,” he moans, pushing into the tight space between those powerful thighs, rough, demanding thrusts. He won’t last long at this rate, not with how close to the brink he is already, from just letting Zagreus use his mouth. In the past, he’s come untouched from that alone. It’s a service he loves to provide, his version of worship, paying tribute as he brings Zagreus off with his lips, throat, and tongue, a special offering that arouses him immensely.

He lets himself remember it now, the fullness as Zagreus stretched his jaw wide, the taste of him, the heady, delicious scent that drove Thanatos nearly delirious with want.

Thanatos grunts and snaps his hips forward. The movement is slicker now, aided by the fluid leaking liberally from his tip. There’s so much already, he knows his orgasm won’t be far behind. The sound it makes is obscene, slippery and wet, a steady smack of flesh on flesh, as he plunges his cock in and out of the firm press of Zagreus’s thighs.

“Than,” Zagreus gasps, his head lolling against Thanatos’s shoulder. “Ah, yes, like that. You feel so good.” He raises a hand to cover the one Thanatos has resting on his throat, and he threads their fingers together, moaning when Thanatos gives a gentle squeeze. “Take from me. I’ll give you everything. Gods, please. Just take… take what you need.” 

Thanatos sinks his teeth into the meat of Zagreus’s shoulder to muffle his cry as the words send him over. He comes between Zagreus’s thighs, emptying himself with every throbbing beat of his orgasm. His spend drips down, adding to the mess of spit and sweat.

Once it’s finished, he half collapses against Zagreus, weak-kneed and shaky in the aftermath. Zagreus leans into him, accepting his weight with a low hum of contentment.

“Than…” He turns in Thanatos’s arms, and if he looked disheveled before, he’s an absolute mess right now. His laurel wreath is knocked askew, mouth red and swollen from their kisses, hair drenched with perspiration and plastered to his brow. Still, he’s incredible. The beauty of Elysium and it’s lush, sprawling fields will always pale in comparison, at least in Thanatos’s eyes. This, what they’ve built between them, is the true definition of paradise. 

Thanatos touches his flushed cheek. “Zagreus. I wish I could stay, but duty calls.”

“All right.” Zagreus draws him down for another kiss. “I should move on, too, before my father decides to peek in on my progress.”

Thanatos shudders to think of it. “Yes, that’s probably wise.” He goes to step back, but Zagreus holds him fast.

“One last thing.” Zagreus cups the nape of his neck and presses their foreheads together. He releases a slow, shaky breath, and then continues, “Remember, I’ll always come back. I love you, Than. I won’t let anything keep us apart.”

Thanatos opens his mouth. Closes it. He knew. Of course, he knew—Zagreus rarely conceals his emotions; perhaps is incapable of doing so—but he didn’t anticipate Zagreus just coming out and saying it, unprompted, so brutally forthright and earnest. He expected Zagreus would tell him, sure. Someday. Not now, not today. Not _here_.

The shock of it leaves him reeling.

“Zagreus, I…” 

Oh, why did the words always tangle in his throat when it came to this? He should be able to express himself as unreservedly as Zagreus does. He’d been the one to make Zagreus see reason, after all, to recognize the glaring flaw in his plan to wait for some ideal, hypothetical moment in the future, when Thanatos was _right there_ already, and as far as he was concerned, the time for waiting had passed. 

Yet, raw sentiment has always been… difficult for Thanatos. He prides himself on being unflappable. In his line of work, self-composure is essential. But these sorts of tender, _romantic_ feelings—love and longing, the unyielding need, the desire that grows ever stronger no matter how often he slakes the hunger—fluster and confound him in a way very little else does. 

For all that, though, for his wariness and fear, the idea of leaving Zagreus to think his feelings aren’t returned, or to wonder if he’s alone in having them, is, frankly, intolerable. They’re in this together, aren’t they? A team, the two of them. If Zagreus can bare his soul, whole-heartedly and without hesitation, Thanatos can share a part of himself as well.

“Me, too,” he finally rasps, past the snarl of emotions clogging his throat. “I… You must know how much I… You _must_ know how much I do love you. Right?”

“I do.” Zagreus’s smile is broad and bright. “I do.” He buries his face against Thanatos’s chest, laughing softly. “I wasn’t sure you were ready to say it back just now, and that would’ve been perfectly okay with me, Than, if you’d needed more time. I only wanted you to know how important you are to me.”

Thanatos nods, swallowing as the tension eases from his stomach. He feels lighter, not quite carefree, but as if a weight’s been lifted without him being aware it was dragging him down in the first place. He allows himself a final kiss, then tears himself away from Zagreus. It’ll only get harder to depart if he doesn’t let go now. Already he misses the heat of Zagreus’s body, the familiar, beloved embrace.

“Well, how do I look?” Zagreus asks once they’ve cleaned up and straightened their clothing as best they could.

“You look…” Thanatos chuckles, shaking his head. “You look as if someone just had you bent over an altar.”

“Perfect.” Zagreus smirks. “Now to go trounce Asterius and that blowhard who calls himself a champion.”

“Give them hell, Zag.”

Zagreus spreads his arms as he starts walking backward to where the Claws of Enkidu wait. “Oh, I will,” he says. “With pleasure, love.”

Thanatos ignores the warmth in his cheeks at the endearment—which has taken on a whole new meaning in the past few minutes, no longer a simple pet name, but a statement of fact—and floats over to collect his scythe and gauntlet. Mortal souls beckon from the periphery of his consciousness, loud enough now that he can no longer ignore their calls. He’ll have his hands full for the remainder of the day, or night, but he truly was due a break, and he can’t regret what happened here. Good for morale, as Zagreus had said.

“See you at home!” Zagreus shouts cheerfully, and for the first time since the escape attempts started, he exits a chamber before Thanatos does.

“See you there,” Thanatos returns, though he’s the only one around to hear the farewell.

He’ll feel it when Zagreus goes, just as he’ll sense his return. A flash of pain followed by a flare of relief. Life and death, the halves of their whole, and their love, like blood, connecting the two.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! And, OMG, thank you so much to everyone who read the first fic! I was not expecting that kind of response, but it made me really happy. If you read this one too, I hope you enjoyed it! :D 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always very much appreciated! <3
> 
> Find me [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/MxTicketyBoo).


End file.
